| The weekend is finally here. Time to kick back, relax and — Wait. How is it already Sunday night?? Your time off doesn't have to end with Sunday scaries. Welcome to Day 6 of A Better Week. We want to recharge our batteries, but spending the weekend vegging out on the couch watching Netflix can come at the cost of missed socializing or basic chores — looking at you, my growing laundry hamper — which can put us at a disadvantage throughout the week. It can also lead to the dreaded Sunday "scaries," a feeling of dread and anxiety that can build in the hours leading up to Monday morning. One solution is simple: plan an event you'll look forward to on Sunday evening. Laura Vanderkam, an author of several time-management books, calls plans we look forward to "anchor events"— and she says you should plan ahead to fit three to five of them into your weekend.  (Jennifer Tapias Derch for The Post) | "Put one of those fun things on Sunday evening," Vanderkam added. "Then you spend Sunday afternoon looking forward to your fun as opposed to thinking about Monday mornings." The idea is that you will find the time to do other tasks, like laundry or cleaning your home, which generally require less planning than going out to take a hike on a nearby trail. You could also buy yourself some more free time, for example, by getting your groceries delivered, and use those free hours to make plans with friends. The past few weekends, I've found that two anchor events are usually plenty for me to feel as though I accomplished something by Sunday night while still having enough time to myself to feel rested. My girlfriend and I found that we enjoyed having one night, usually Fridays, to ourselves to kick back with our cat and watch a movie. We grabbed dinner with friends on Sunday night, which was a relaxing way to end the weekend, and it forced us to knock off any remaining chores earlier in the day. By the time we arrived back home from our Sunday night dinner, we were in a noticeably more upbeat mood and felt less stressed about going back to work. Your turn: This weekend, try to schedule two enjoyable activities, including one on Sunday (or whatever the night is before your workweek starts). You could also take things a step further by totally disconnecting from technology for one of those weekend days, an idea that Tiffany Shlain explores in her book, "24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week." For the past decade, Shlain and her family have practiced a "technology Shabbat" by turning off all screens for 24 hours, often kicking it off by hosting a dinner for friends and family Friday night. "I find that when I turn off the screens every Friday night, time completely slows down," Shlain said. "It is like time suddenly feels luxurious and gorgeous and expansive." By removing screens, Shlain found a lot more time not just for other activities, but to think more deeply about longer-term projects. "I know I get my most creative ideas when the screens are off on my Saturdays," Shlain added. By Saturday night, after a full 24 hours away from screens, Shlain said she's ready to reconnect to technology, and that the time off increases her productivity the following week. I have not yet been able to take a full 24 hours entirely away from screens yet, but I'm working toward it. Being unreachable on Fridays and Saturdays would make it very challenging to make spontaneous plans with friends, and my girlfriend often has to be reachable for work. Instead, we put the phones away around 11 p.m. Friday night and didn't check them until 11 a.m. the following morning — a literal half measure. While that's no doubt a much smaller commitment, I already have noticed feeling more relaxed later in the day if I can start it off without staring at my phone or tablet. It's a lot less stressful to start the morning by pouring a cup of coffee and playing with our cat than scrolling through countless push alerts. This weekend, try both tips yourself. It may make your Sunday night feel a little less scary. Coming tomorrow: Using your newfound time wisely | 
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